Kofi D. Essel 05C

Food as Medicine Director
Elevance Health
Washington, D.C.

Kofi D. Essel's interest in nutrition was kindled during his time at Emory, and he has since crafted a unique career focused on diet-related issues. Currently, he serves as the inaugural food as medicine program director at Elevance Health, formerly known as Anthem.

In his role, Essel is at the forefront of efforts to design new approaches for tackling diet-related chronic diseases and addressing health-related social needs through innovative food interventions. He is also a board-certified community pediatrician at Children’s National Hospital and holds the position of clinical associate professor of pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C.

Throughout his career, Essel has received national recognition for his dedication to combating diet-related chronic diseases and food insecurity within families. He hails from Little Rock, Arkansas, and is an alumnus of the renowned Little Rock Central High School.